The ever-reliable Baz Bamigboye reports that three British actors— Idris Elba, Sean Harris and Kate Dickie—have joined Rapace, Fassbender and Theron in the project, in unknown roles. Elba’s easily the best known of the trio, thanks to his indelible performance as Stringer Bell on HBO‘s “The Wire,” but he’s also racked up a fair few big-screen credits in recent years, mostly in the ignoble likes of “Obsessed,” “Takers,” “The Losers” and the forthcoming “Thor.”

Harris is perhaps less of a name, but certainly a familiar face—the actor broke through with his portrayal of Ian Curtis in “24 Hour Party People” (which we’ll still take over Sam Riley‘s take on the Joy Division frontman in “Control”), and has turned in a series of chilling, often villainous roles in recent years, as a drug dealer in the Michael Caine vehicle “Harry Brown,” and, unforgettably, as corrupt copper Bob Harris in the “Red Riding” trilogy.

Scottish actress Dickie, meanwhile, is the least well-known of the new additions, at least in the US, but she’s been a staple in UK indies since her extraordinary performance in Andrea Arnold‘s excellent debut “Red Road.” She had a recurring role in the series “The Pillars of the Earth,” produced by Ridley & Tony Scott, which may be how the actress came to the director’s attention. All three are terrific actors, and somewhat unexpected choices for a project like this, so we’re excited to see how they fit into the mix. It’s worth mentioning that there’s no mention of McNairy in Bamigboye’s piece: it’s unclear whether the actor’s still in talks for the project, or whether conflicts with “Cogan’s Trade” and, potentially, “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” which was also courting the new-found star, have ruled him out—it’s possible that Elba, or even Harris, have taken the role he was marked for.

Prometheus, Ridley declared, was not — as some have suggested — a prequel to his classic sci-fi shocker Alien. But he refused to divulge more.

NOW, before everyone starts going insane again, THIS DOES NOT MEAN PROMETHEUS IS UNRELATED TO ALIEN. It's only stating that it isn't a prequel. MAYBE, he means that the film does not lead up to the events with the crew of the Nostromo, but instead tells about a different encounter with the Space Jockey/Aliens with ANOTHER crew.

This sci-fi's top secretSworn to secrecy: Actor Idris Elba will star in Ridley Scott's latest film, in which the script has been a closely guarded secret

Sworn to secrecy: Actor Idris Elba will star in Ridley Scott's latest film, in which the script has been a closely guarded secret

Ridley Scott told me he has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the script of his new epic science fiction film from leaking out.

His ensemble cast, which includes Oscar- winning Charlize Theron and hot actors Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Idris Elba, Sean Harris and Kate Dickie, not only had to sign secrecy clauses, but were only allowed to read the story if they visited Ridley’s production office. (One exception was made, when a security courier flew to an actor’s foreign location and stood guard for two hours while the screenplay was perused.)

‘I was insistent that the script not leak onto the internet, where it gets dissected out of context, which spoils it for everyone,’ Ridley told me during cocktails at a pre-Oscar tribute to Harvey Weinstein, hosted by Dior at the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard.

The film’s called Prometheus and starts filming in three weeks. The director behind Alien, Gladiator, Thelma And Louise and Black Rain did, however, confirm that it is a science fiction thriller.

‘It’s the story of creation, the gods and the man who stood against them. It’s not a small film,’ Ridley joked.

‘I’m using the giant James Bond 007 stage at Pinewood and six other sound stages to film it,’ he added.

Prometheus, Ridley declared, was not — as some have suggested — a prequel to his classic sci-fi shocker Alien. But he refused to divulge more.

Indeed, one of his actors told me that he could recite the entire screenplay to me — but then he’d have to wrestle me to the ground and, this was related in the nicest possible way, ‘kill me’.

Fassbender will arrive on set direct from filming Shame in New York for director Steve McQueen, who made the fantastic drama Hunger.

Rapace created the part of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and its sequels.

Kate Dickie was stunning in Andrea Arnold’s movie Red Road, and Sean Harris has emerged as an ace character actor after stonking roles in the Channel 4 adaptation of David Peace’s Red Riding crime stories and Rowan Joffe’s recent Brighton Rock picture.

Prometheus, Ridley declared, was not — as some have suggested — a prequel to his classic sci-fi shocker Alien. But he refused to divulge more.

NOW, before everyone starts going insane again, THIS DOES NOT MEAN PROMETHEUS IS UNRELATED TO ALIEN. It's only stating that it isn't a prequel. MAYBE, he means that the film does not lead up to the events with the crew of the Nostromo, but instead tells about a different encounter with the Space Jockey/Aliens with ANOTHER crew.

Prometheus, Ridley declared, was not — as some have suggested — a prequel to his classic sci-fi shocker Alien. But he refused to divulge more.

NOW, before everyone starts going insane again, THIS DOES NOT MEAN PROMETHEUS IS UNRELATED TO ALIEN. It's only stating that it isn't a prequel. MAYBE, he means that the film does not lead up to the events with the crew of the Nostromo, but instead tells about a different encounter with the Space Jockey/Aliens with ANOTHER crew.

Right now, "Prequel" can be considered a dirty word.

When people hear "prequel" they think of this:

For us Alien fans, we also think of these gems:

It's at a point that if a movie is a prequel people automatically assume it's going to suck.

I think he wants to distance himself from that word and make sure the movie stands on it's own merits.

So far Fassbender and Giger have confirmed that firstly ther is "a definite connecting vein" to the alien universe and Giger has also confirmed that prometheus does take part in the same universe as the Alien series. Then the bleeding cool leak went further to claim the alien aliens will be in it, but we may not recognise them, at least,not at first before going on to claim that prometheus does indeed take part in the same universe as alien. Now Scott has claimed that it is NOT a prequel and would say no more.

This very recent info all points to the idea that Promethues may not be a prequel but probably will contain the aliens and the jockeys - therefore it will take part in the same universe for sure. It MAY be set before Alien, but probably won't end with the jockey travelling off to LV-426 or anything like that, or PERHAPS it will be set some other time, maybe even after alien, or at the same time? who knows? and is it really important? as long as it's set in the same universe and involves the Giger Alien species in it then I'm a happy man.